Cantor outlines next week's schedule in talk with Hoyer

Following a raucous debate among House members on how two delinquent Republicans (Pete Sessions [Texas] and Mike Fitzpatrick [Pa.]) should be reinstated after missing the swearing-in ceremony, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) settled into a respectful exchange over rules changes and next week's schedule.

Cantor, who controls the schedule along with other Republican leaders, said the House will reconvene at noon on Tuesday and open legislative business at 2 p.m. Cantor said debate on H.R. 2, which would repeal last year's healthcare law, would begin Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the House will convene at 9 a.m. and is expected to finish its work by 7 p.m. Cantor said he expects votes on H.R. 2 and H.R. 9 to finish Wednesday. The resolution instructs committees to consider changes to the healthcare law and is the "replace" element in the Republicans' "repeal and replace" strategy.

Cantor said the House will be out of session Thursday and Friday to accommodate House Republicans' annual retreat.

Hoyer expressed "disappointment" in Republicans for naming their healthcare repeal bill the “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act,” and for arranging the rules in such a way that amendments to the repeal will not be allowed.